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Monday, September 28, 2009

Lemony Shrimp Scampi Pasta - Melissa d'Arabian

***If you ask Brad what his favorite dinner is, Shrimp Scampi will definitely be at the very top of that list. THIS recipe from Southern Living magazine is the one that I usually follow, and it's been his favorite for a long time now.

Recently, I was watching another episode of Ten Dollar Dinners with Melissa d'Arabian, and she made her Lemony Shrimp Scampi Pasta. It looked easy, affordable and really tasty, so I decided to give it a try. There are a few key differences between this recipe and my old stand-by. First of all, I usually make Shrimp Scampi using angel hair pasta. This particular recipe calls for linguine.

Secondly, the old recipe uses hot sauce, while this one uses red pepper flakes. The old recipe also incorporates green onions. I do really like that Melissa uses every bit of the shrimp in this recipe...including the shrimp shells. So, nothing goes to waste! With this dish, you'll learn how to whip up a quick shrimp stock, and then incorporate part of the stock into the scampi sauce...Mmm! I've saved the extra shrimp stock and plan to freeze it for a future recipe....another money saver!!

Honestly, it's really hard to say which recipe that we prefer....they are both absolutely delicious, and you can't go wrong with either one. I'd have to say that Melissa has given us a wonderful scampi recipe here...definitely worth trying!***

Directions:In a bowl, combine the garlic, zest and juice of 1 lemon, olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, to taste, and the shrimp. Set aside.

Meanwhile make a quick shrimp stock: In a small pot, over medium heat, add the shrimp shells and onion. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain into a bowl and discard the shells and the onion.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and add a generous amount of salt. Add the linguini and cook until just tender, 2 minutes less than instructed on the package. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water.

Heat a skillet over high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until they turn pink and start to caramelize, about 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan to a plate and add the remaining marinade. Let cook a few minutes then add about 1 cup of shrimp stock and about 1/2 cup pasta water. Continue to cook until sauce reduces by half. Add the zest and juice of the remaining lemon, the butter and the parsley and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste. Add in the shrimp and pasta and toss to combine with the sauce. Turn out into a serving bowl and serve immediately.